Chandigarh: Another boy passes out after MR vaccination

In yet another incident, a Class-IIIC boy of Government Model Senior Secondary School, Sector 16, Chandigarh, fell unconscious soon after taking the Measles-Rubella (MR) vaccine. The boy was sent home immediately.

On Thursday, the Chandigarh health department had launched the MR Campaign in the city. (Representational image)

In yet another incident, a Class-IIIC boy of Government Model Senior Secondary School, Sector 16, Chandigarh, fell unconscious soon after taking the Measles-Rubella (MR) vaccine. The boy was sent home immediately. The incident was reported just a day after a Class V boy, also a resident of Nayagaon, lost consciousness after he took the MR vaccine.

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When the Newsline reporter visited the school, Surinder Kaur, school in-charge, said, “No such incident has happened. Please don’t create a controversy out of nothing. If a child would have felt unconscious, it would have been reported to me.”

“In the morning, my child was waiting for his turn to get vaccinated. But, soon after taking the injection, he fell unconscious and regained consciousness almost after 15 minutes. We then took him home. He is fine now,” said Subash Chand, the boy’s father, resident of Janta Colony, Nayagon, said.

Meanwhile, the father also said that the child didn’t eat anything in the morning and possibly this could be the reason why he lost consciousness.

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Chandigarh Newsline then talked to a few parents to know why they were not ensuring that the child should have good breakfast before taking the vaccine. “The moment we reach school for vaccination, schoolteachers are telling and asking us whether the child has any medical history, medicine allergy or has the child had breakfast or not. I am surprised why the schools do not ask all these things a day prior to vaccination,” said Krishan, whose two kids study at GMSSS-16 Chandigarh.

“My daughter, who studies at GMSSS, Sector 37, also took the vaccine today, but we did not receive any written instructions or guidelines from the school. This is what our government schools are missing. Not every parent is so educated that they have no idea whether to send their child on empty stomach or after breakfast,” Swarn Singh Kamboj, a teacher of GMSSS, Sector 20, Chandigarh.

“My friend’s daughter studies in a private school and there, they have got proper note from the school seeking the parents’ consent and also guiding them on whether the children are required to eat good breakfast on the day of the vaccination. But surprisingly, at government schools, the parents are just told verbally. That, too, when we are taking our kids for vaccination,” said Ashok, a Class IV employee at GMHS-35.

Earlier, seven students from two government schools of the city were briefly hospitalised on Friday after many of them developed allergic reaction after the MR vaccine was administered to them. On Thursday, the Chandigarh health department had launched the MR Campaign in the city.

“My daughter studies in a private school and yes we have got a written communication from the school, asking us whether we want the child to get vaccinated at the school or not,” said Ravi, another parent.

“We have made the micro plans for the campaign and the dates are fixed. The vaccination programme is going well but as children come on empty stomach, they are facing problems. So, on Thursday, I will hold a meeting with the school authorities and also issue the revised circular to each school to ensure that no child comes on empty stomach. Though the parents have already been given information cards, we have even arranged parent-teacher meetings so that the parents can come and clarify any queries they have. I even shared my mobile number on the information cards,” said Dr Anu Dosanjh, nodal officer for the MR vaccination campaign.

Meanwhile, an official statement from UT read, “Day 4 of Measles Rubella Immunisation Campaign in UT Chandigarh, 35 schools were covered by the health department teams to immunise the children with MR Vaccine and 73 sessions were held. 8,274 children were immunised today and 44,221 children have been immunised in four days of MR Campaign in Chandigarh.”